


Visitations

by HanzoNoKoi



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Comfort, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hurt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-09-12 00:59:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16863256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HanzoNoKoi/pseuds/HanzoNoKoi
Summary: Takes place immediately after the true ending of BotW. Link and Zelda’s duties are far from over as they have some people to see after Ganon has at last been sealed away.





	1. Part 1: Korok Forest

Visitations Part 1: Korok Forest

Link found himself surprised that Zelda was not the least bit wary as they wended through the Lost Woods. She rode as regally as was exemplary of her station and it would have been easy to tell that much had she not been wearing a thick, hooded cloak over her face and figure. But then he just as quickly remembered again that she had been there before and was quite familiar with the forest and the denizens within, particularly the Deku Tree. He was the reason they were headed this way after all. These memories, though undoubtedly his, still felt as if they were outside of him. They were as pictures played in his mind and recounted by someone else. It was taking him some time to absorb them as a part of his being but having the princess at his side helped to remind him that they indeed belonged to him.

It had been 100 years since the land was with a royal head and, after catching the eye of a few travelers on foot, she thought it might be best to wait until she had found a place to root herself and plan for her people’s future once again before news spread around the land that the royal bloodline was still alive and well. She had a lot to answer for, she thought, but she wasn’t quite ready. He heard the wisdom in her words so the cloak and coverage was his idea. Still, to him, she stood out; even without the cerulean blue of the royal blouse she wore underneath. It was the way she carried herself in addition to her golden hair that spilled out from within the hood every now and again and her eyes that were at once warm yet penetrating whenever he could catch their gaze. But that was beside the point, he told himself. The important thing was that it was enough for her to be able to travel through Hyrule, at least for now, without much scrutiny or mind, until she was ready to lead her people once again. 

“I know it has been many years but it feels like I was just walking through these woods yesterday, though I’m not sure I was actually walking” she said, just loud enough for him to hear her voice above the soft clops of their horses’ hooves on the grass. There was a light cross breeze in the mid-day air, though these woods were always grey and moody no matter what time of day. The wind seemed to carry her voice to him as she spoke. He looked at her as they continued to ride, side by side, entreating her to continue. 

“The great tree took pity on me once I made it past Minshi Woods. Somehow he knew I was coming and he sent his little children to guide me to him. It felt, well, it felt as if I was lighter on my feet the rest of the way. I must have been quite the sight, I’m sure, as I approached him; caked in all the mud Hyrule could possibly spare, shaking like a newborn leaf. I had to travel by night most of the time to get there. Trying to hide the Master Sword proved quite difficult. The fact that you’re able to wield it with such dexterity proves you are its true match,” she said and smiled softly. The smile slowly disappeared and Link noticed a marked change in her countenance. 

“Leaving the sword there at the roots of the great tree," she continued, "felt as if…as if I was leaving you once again,” she finally said, after a long pause. Link blinked and tilted his head slightly, unsure of what she meant.

“Everything I held dear was lost to me because I could not protect them. My friends, my father, the kingdom…and when you fell, I even had to leave you in someone else’s charge in hopes that you would be cared for. I carried your sword for a time --a piece of you-- and left it in someone else’s charge, too. There was nothing I could do for either of you but hope; hope that you would return to us and hope that you would return to your sword as well. All I knew was that, to the very end, I was unable to protect anyone or anything. So many lives….”

Her last words trailed off and blew away with the breeze. 

Link felt a memory stir. Not so much a memory but a feeling at first. A familiar feeling of tightness and regret square in the middle of his chest. Each time he had accompanied her to a shrine or spring to pray, each time her father caught her in her research, each time she felt she failed in her birthright...he remembered watching her shoulders slump, her frame diminish, her fists clench in frustration. He saw himself standing outside her research lab many nights, then kneeling, as her father walked by him to enter in and chide her. Those nights she didn’t eat or sleep much. He wanted to say something so many times, to ease her disappointment. He recalled the numerous times he felt regret when his words were often swallowed in favor or duty. That tightness that would wind in his core when he’d see her wrap her arms around herself, as she wondered aloud what was wrong with her.

“Are you all right?” Zelda asked. 

She had noticed him staring off into the distance, lost in thought, his brows knitted. At her words, he turned to face her. It never ceased to startle her how his gaze made her feel, even long before, when it was at her back. 

“Where did you go after you left the great tree?” he asked.

“Answering a question with a question, hm?” she replied, with a smile, belying her mood.

He had heard that somewhere before, he thought.

“I went straight to the Castle,” she answered, quickly. “I knew he would be there, waiting. And I finally knew what I must do.”

He had been her appointed knight. But on the daily, he now remembered he truly couldn’t do anything for her. Bombarded by expectations from within as well as outside the castle walls; whispers of a failing ruler’s lineage. What she needed protection from, he couldn’t provide. And she didn’t need him to. Disappointment after disappointment, she rose again, tried again. If she wasn’t praying, she was studying. When she wasn’t studying, she was out investigating until the break of dawn. If she didn’t rest, neither would he. He remembered watching the sun rise with her, over a ridge that looked over another shrine she had found. She was exhausted but she pressed on. How he wished to comfort her when she felt discouraged but found she would strive on regardless. Even in the end, when all was lost, she continued to do just that. 

What he could protect her from, he had failed to do so. As he had lain in her arms in that field, he remembered looking into her eyes one last time. It was the only thing he could have wanted to see if he were ever to have to close his eyes forever. But not like that. Not without knowing she would be safe. The words he had wanted to say came out as a harsh, guttural exhale--and then nothing. Though his duty was unfulfilled, she had carried on, saving him, and saving the sword that would seal the darkness. Waiting.

“Link…?” she said, her voice catching an edge of concern. “You’re staring off again.”

“I’m just…remembering some things,” he said, softly.

“Are you remembering things on your own?” she excitedly asked. “That’s wonderful!”

“Perhaps.”

Before she could ask him about it further, the woods opened up into a beautiful green canopy; he heaviness of the Lost Woods evaporating into a bright, airy antithesis. Link looked behind him and couldn’t see where the Lost Woods began or ended, even though they had just came from there. Some kind of enchantment.

They heard the creaking of wood and shuffling of leaves. It was a sound that seemed as old as time. Before they even dismounted, they heard him.

“Ah, I see you have brought a friend, young one,” came a slumbering, languid voice. Link nodded as he and Zelda climbed off their mounts. Leaving the horses to graze, they approached the Deku Tree.

“Great Deku Tree,” Zelda began, hands clasped under her chin, standing almost exactly where she had the last time she had been there, “I don’t know how to thank you for keeping the Master Sword safe and ready for Link’s return. Your vigilance was instrumental in finally sealing Ganon away.”

“I felt the moment he was defeated. The resonance reached far and wide and my children rejoiced,” he replied, slowly. “Have you come back just to see me?”

“Link told me he wanted to keep a promise to you,” Zelda answered, pushing the hood off of her head.

“Oh? And what promise would that be?” the great tree asked.

“I don’t know…he said he wouldn’t tell me until we got here. He is being altogether too mysterious,” she said, and smiled as she looked at Link.

“Ah, there it is,” the Deku Tree said, as he sighed. “As warm as the sun.”

“Hm?” Zelda remarked quizzically, turning her attention back to the ancient, looming tree again.

The great tree chuckled and spoke to Link, “Thank you, young one. I think that shall keep me blooming for many more years to come.” 

Link rested his fists on his hips, almost triumphantly.

“What’s going on with you two?” Zelda asked.

“You must be tired from your journey, let alone all that *other* work,” the Deku Tree continued. “You should rest here for the night under the shade of my leaves. I feel you have more traveling to do tomorrow and on.”

“Yes, we are off to Kakariko Village next. Link was quite adamant about seeing you first, though,” replied Zelda.

“This old trunk is honored. You will find that my children have prepared a place for you both. Feel free to eat of any fruit you find should your bellies need filling.”  
\------------------------------------  
NEXT! Visitations Part 2: Kakariko Village


	2. Part 2: Arrival at Kakariko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Onward to and arriving at Kakariko Village

Visitations Part 2: Kakariko Village

Zelda couldn’t hear anything but a muted, liquid thudding in her ears. She felt suspended, enclosed, and the sensation was stifling; her limbs only able to move haltingly as if stuck in so much molasses. She knew it well. But hadn’t she escaped from that place? Hadn’t Link freed her from her prison? But she was back in her suffocating cell and Ganon’s eyes were upon her again, ever boring into her, willing her to capitulate. What a relief it would have been to do just that--to not feel the pressure of an ancient evil squeezing her mind and body into submission. If she just let go, she could be free of it all. 

“No!” she cried loudly, though it only came out as a muffled, dampened noise, as always. Ganon had completely consumed her and her cries were always stamped out within his churning, roiling form. “NO!” she cried out again, “You will NOT…!”

An electric shot of sensation on her left shoulder brought her out and she shot upwards, only to come within inches of Link’s face. Both were wide-eyed and held their breaths as they stared at one another for a moment.

Zelda swallowed and looked down. She was sitting upright on a bed of soft leaves that had been prepared for her and Link the night before by the Koroks. Link laid his hand on her shoulder once again and she looked up into his concerned eyes.

“I’m sorry, was I talking in my sleep? Did I wake you?” she asked as she looked over at Link’s bed of leaves just a few paces away. He had fallen asleep quickly and deeply last night. She had wondered if he had ever had the chance to sleep so serenely in his life. She knew she certainly didn’t make it any easier for him now or one hundred years ago.

“I went out to gather some supplies for our next leg. I thought I’d let you sleep a little longer but you were…” Link started saying.

“Just a nightmare. It’s all right,” she said, trying to allay his worries.

His hand felt warm on her cool skin. She thought she felt his thumb lightly brush it once before he retracted and put his gloves back on. He took a moment to look at her again from his kneeling position before he stood up straight, then offered his hand. She rubbed her eyes quickly and took it, slowly standing up.

“It took a while to wake you,” Link said simply as he stood before her.

“It really felt as if I were back there again," she replied, avoiding his gaze, "but I suppose it’s all I’d known for quite some time. It makes sense that it will linger for a while,” she said resolutely. “I can still feel it, smell it. Everything.”

Link thought he saw her shiver and he instinctively reached for her. But, it passed quickly, so he only nodded. 

“We should get going soon,” he said as he reached behind her for her cloak instead, handing it to her. “It’s not much, but there are some baked apples, nuts, and fresh water if you’d like to eat something before we head out.”

“Mm, thank you, I think I will,” she said in gratitude. “I think some cold water on my face will do nicely.”

By the time Zelda had finished washing her face and eating a light meal, Link had both of the horses fed, watered, and loaded with fresh supplies. She had watched him while he went about his work and marveled at how efficient and focused he was. Not a movement wasted. She decided that she would have to learn from him. If only she’d done it sooner instead of spending so much of her time before trying to push him away. 

Zelda stood and smoothed her cloak down before walking over to Link. When he caught her eyes, he stopped patting down the horses and they both walked back over to the Deku Tree together.

“Already on your way, I see?” he said to them, sleepily. 

“Yes, thank you for your hospitality. We slept warmly and peacefully and are ready to travel,” said Zelda.

“Hmmm…I know the young champion slept like an aged old stone, not even turning once. But you, Princess…you will need to create new memories to replace the ones that come to disturb you in the night.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she acknowledged.

“Then be on your way and may the Goddess guide your steps. Know that you are both always welcome here,” he decreed.

She bowed deeply and Link followed suit in his own way, nodding his head once firmly at the great tree.

The children of the forest escorted them all the way out of Minshi Woods until neither she nor Link could hear their rather disturbing laughter anymore. The long road south to Kakariko Village awaited them. Perhaps it would have made better sense to go to Zora’s Domain first. It was, after all, more on the way. But they both felt that Impa would do well to see the Princess’ face before any more suns had set. 

Zelda knew she was agreeable to this plan for another reason: As eager as she was to see Impa, her heart was not ready to face Mipha’s family. Would it ever be?

They stopped near Wetland Stable for the night and started off again early the next morning. All the while, Zelda heard Link tell tales of the shrines along the way. He recounted what he had seen and encountered in Mirro Shaz, Sheh Rata, Kaya Wan, Hila Rao Shrines in great detail, much to Zelda’s delight. Though she was disappointed that she couldn’t enter the shrines yet and explore them herself, Zelda was more than happy to hear him talk about his trials in his own words. She had watched over him and his challenges as he made his way to Hyrule Castle, but hearing him speak about what he did and how he used the Sheikah Slate was invigorating. He was talking more now than ever she had heard in her life and she planned on appreciating every moment of it. The people at Wetland Stable seemed quite taken with Link and were friendly with him as far as Zelda could tell from a distance. He seemed to have unwittingly made quite a name for himself as he traversed the land. A real hero, she’d heard them say. Would they ever truly know the magnitude and accuracy of their words—what he sacrificed for them all?

Link was starting to talk about the nearby Daka Tuss Shrine when his voice trailed off. “We’re very close now,” was all he said and he fell silent.

Zelda looked around as the terrain turned high and rocky. She had forgotten how tucked away this village was; surrounded and hidden by stony hills as if they were the village’s own petrified guardians. She had been there once as a young girl when she had accompanied Impa on one of her trips to visit her family there. Impa…

Zelda lowered her head and rested her chin against her chest. People started to notice them as they rode through the village. The Sheikah were still loyal to Hyrule and its royal family even all these years later and in the absence of an actual heir. But only the old ones remembered the true events of 100 years past while the younger ones heard the tale and believed it to be only that. But would any of them believe that she would return to them?

Cado and Dorian, as always, stood vigilant at the steps of Impa’s house. They greeted Link as he and Zelda approached. 

“There has been some startling news from our eyes out beyond the village walls, young Master Link,” started Cado, “and Lady Impa told us to expect you soon. Possibly being accompanied by a friend. And here you are.” As he spoke, he never took his eyes off of Link’s companion.

Dorian walked over to Zelda’s horse and gently grabbed the reins, offering his hand to help her dismount. She slowly took it, her golden hair spilling out from within her deep hood as she looked down to claim footing.

Cado gasped and Dorian immediately knelt, “My Lady!” he exclaimed, “So it’s true!”

Cado knelt and said, “We’ve been waiting for you for so long. But one has been counting the days longer than others...”

“No, please, you don’t need to…rise and stand…” Zelda started to explain. But before she could continue, Impa’s doors burst open.

“Grandmother, where are you going at this time of night?!” came a worried voice from the top of the stairs. Cado and Dorian parted and Zelda and Link looked up.

There stood the diminutive Impa, looking down imperiously at them all; her eyes clear and piercing from underneath the brim of her wide hat.

“Grandmother, at least put something warm on! This is so unlike you…” declared Paya, as she ran out after Impa with a shawl in hand. Then she saw their visitors below.

“Oh! M-Master Link! You’ve returned!” she said, in a slightly higher pitch. She then noticed the stranger standing next to him and how Cado and Dorian had their heads bowed. They weren’t usually this formal with Grandmother.

“You….” Impa said, shakily. Paya turned to look at her grandmother, never knowing her to be at a loss for words. She heard the footfalls before seeing them.

Zelda slowly began to ascend the steps toward Impa and Paya, as Link watched on steadily, allowing the moment to unfold without him.

As she reached the middle of the stairway, Zelda could not hold herself in anymore. Whatever formality this called for, if any at all, she was not beholden to it any longer. Whatever title she held, whatever her station was a hundred years ago, that was gone. But what was in front of her here and now, was her dear friend; a friend she thought she’d never see again. Maybe her world was not completely lost after all. She had Link and now she had Impa back, though time had treated them very differently. 

With only a few steps remaining, she locked eyes with Impa. It was her, there was no doubting it. The fiery intensity and strength was all there, now within this small frame.

“Impa!” Zelda cried and ran up the rest of the way, tears blurring her vision. She almost tackled the poor old woman but Impa remained and received the arms that enfolded her. Paya covered her mouth in shock as she looked on. Never had she expected such an outburst of emotion and to feel so moved by a stranger who embraced her grandmother with so much love and pain. 

“Impaaa…” cried Zelda again, weeping openly now, her body shaking as she embraced the elderly lady. She felt like she was a child again and she didn’t care.

“It’s really you…” Impa said, her voice breaking, patting her friend on the back, which then turned into a hard clutch. 

Link noticed Dorian sniffle to the side and Cado wipe his eyes quickly. 

“Come inside,” Impa finally said and gestured toward Link as well. As she turned, she held onto Zelda’s hand and pointed her to the young lady standing beside them. “This is my granddaughter, Paya. She is my joy and the pride of the clan.”

Zelda looked upon Paya with amazement and adoration at Impa’s words. So much so that Paya turned a beet red. “Oh, Paya! You look just like Impa when she was your age. She has never been one to freely compliment a soul. You must be as formidable as you are lovely.” She extended both her hands and gently squeezed Paya’s. 

“Prin-Princess! Oh my! What do I say? What should I do…?” sputtered Paya to herself, unable to look at Zelda directly.

“You can call me Zelda,” she said, beaming. Paya was left disarmed at the sight.

Link was there now at the landing. He nodded gently at Paya and put his hand on Zelda’s shoulder lightly, gesturing for her to follow Impa who had already walked inside. Zelda turned and siled unabashedly at Link in return. And it was his turn to be disarmed.  
\-----------------------------------------

NEXT UP: Visitations Part 3 – Kakariko Village Cont’d


	3. Part 3: Kakariko II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda catch up with Impa and spend a late night getting a little rained on.

Visitations Part 3: Kakariko Village II

After they all entered in, it only took a few moments for Paya to set up the main room with a small center table and seat cushions to surround it. Zelda asked if she could help but was waved off by both Paya and Impa. As they sat down, Paya started to set the small table with simple foods and hot tea for the entire party, bustling to and from the back room. Impa, for the first time in Paya’s memory, insisted on sitting on the floor as well, instead of her usual place high atop her three favorite pillows.

Being attended to was nothing new to Zelda but it was the first time she felt a little awkward about it. Perhaps she never paid attention to it before being so busy with her academic studies, pilgrimages to goddess shrines dotted all over the land, and her own secret research practices. The system of serving had been put in place at the castle long before she was born and she didn’t question it, nor did she have the wherewithal to do so. But now, her creature comforts seemed like the least important thing in her life, especially as that system was literally lying in ruins. Without the castle and its inhabitants, without her family, without that system, what was she? “Princess” was just an absurd title now; a crown without the support of the people is a crown without meaning.

Zelda started to feel a pointed pressure right between her brows and it brought her out of her reverie. When she looked up, she saw that Impa was leaning in closely towards her and had just jabbed her in the forehead with her index finger. “If you keep furrowing your brows like that, you’ll end up with more wrinkles than I have,” Impa said, matter-of-factly. Zelda stared at her, wide-eyed, and then blinked a few times.

“Grandmother!” cried Paya, frozen in place as she was setting down the last dish, “You can't just…she’s the…!”

Link, seated on the other side of Zelda, was mid-drink when it happened and now all he could do was look from Zelda to Impa and back again, holding the hot cup of tea in his hands.

Suddenly, Zelda burst out into laughter, shattering the unbearable silence. A corner of Impa’s lips went up and, much to Paya’s surprise, she then started to giggle. To *giggle.* Had she ever heard such a noise from her grandmother before? There were always affable grunts, a slap on the knee, and of course a smile here and there. But this unbound joy almost made her sound like a little child. Paya told herself that she would gather up enough courage to thank the Princess, at some point, for letting her see this side of her normally austere grandmother.

Link turned away from them and closed his eyes, continuing to take a sip from his tea; thinking he was unable to remember the last time he had heard Zelda laugh so freely. But then, an image formed behind his eyelids, starting with muted colors and grainy textures and then bursting into contrasting boldness and brightness . It started out familiar...

***

They were in a field, sitting together; Zelda holding the Sheikah Slate and taking pictures of the various flora and fauna surrounding them. She was informing Link about their attributes and benefits. _Of course_ , he thought, he knew this memory. But it went on further than he had been able to recall before.

Zelda presented Link with a frog, saying he should taste it so she could record its power enhancing properties. He expressed his objection by trying to wave her off and leaning away while sitting on his heels, but he ended up falling backwards. Appointed Knight indeed, he remembered thinking as he suddenly found himself on his back, looking up at the blue sky.

Then he heard it; Zelda laughing.

He lifted himself onto his elbows to see her sitting on her knees over him, the frog now leaping quickly away from her, as she laughed openly.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, in between giggles, “but that look on your face….”

Link quickly recovered from his supine position and stood up, his back to her. Zelda’s laughter soon died away as she realized that Link wouldn’t look at her.

“I really am sorry, I’d just never seen you look that way before and it was rather…”

“I would have eaten it if you really wanted me to,” he interjected seriously, still looking away.

Zelda hadn’t meant for things to turn so earnest and must have wondered if she’d hurt his feelings. “Would you really have…?” she began, tentatively, “I mean…”

“No.” he said, cutting her off with impertinence, looking down at her over his shoulder.

He remembered her mouth opening and closing silently and he had wondered how she’d take his audacity. He got his answer when she suddenly tore out a big clump of grass from the field and threw it at him.

“You’re lucky I’m not the type to tattle to my father!” she said, giggling once again, while reaching for another clump. Link leaped away, much like the frog had just moments before, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

***

“Link, you don’t want to get poked by Impa, too, do you?” Zelda said, placing her hand on his arm.

“Hm?” was all he replied, realizing that he had been holding his tea up to his face this whole time.

“I guess we’re both having a hard time paying attention,” she said, her eyes warm with understanding.

“I suppose no one could blame you,” Impa said. “These have been trying times, to say the least, and there is much to ponder upon.”

“Impa, thank you,” Zelda said sincerely. “Thank you for helping Link on his journey and giving him everything I had left you with. Without your guidance, I don’t know that he would have ever found himself again. And, if he hadn’t, all would have been lost.”

Impa looked at Zelda with something of a sadness. “We Sheikah pride ourselves in upholding our long-standing duty to you, to the King, to Hyrule. But, in the end, there was nothing we could do after all. All of our plans, our creations themselves, were used against those we swore to protect. Our technology killed the Champions, the King, decimated the land and anyone unfortunate to be nearby…they nearly slayed the Chosen Knight and left you to fight against Ganon alone. Our bellies were too full and we didn’t try to understand the consequences, only our ever advancement. We failed you and Hyrule. The least I could do was relay some messages and items as you instructed before you sequestered yourself with that monster inside the castle.”

Impa bowed her head slightly before she continued. Zelda wanted to try and comfort her. The responsibility was not for her to bear and she couldn’t take seeing her childhood friend laden with such an undue and unwarranted burden. “Impa, please don’t do this to yourself….”

“And what were you thinking, locking yourself up with the primeval?!?” Impa suddenly blasted, interrupting her. “How could you have thought that was a good idea? I would shake you with my bare hands if I were stronger!”

She then looked over at her granddaughter who was sitting at her side. “Paya, go shake her!”

“Huh? Grandmother, I can’t!” exclaimed Paya.

“It’s all right, she’s not being serious,” Zelda told Paya, trying to allay the girl’s anxiety.

“How dare you, I am as serious as death!” Impa went on.

Link continued eating. He was no stranger to one of Impa’s rants.

“Not a day went by that I wasn’t pounding my chest, knowing you were in there and we couldn’t do anything about it. Instead, we had to hole up here, hide, and bide our time, hoping the technology that nearly destroyed this world would bring the Chosen One back from the brink…and back to you.”

“But it did, and he did, dear Impa. We are both alive and here now. Without you, without the Sheikah to guide him, he would not have been able to free the Divine Beasts, to free our friends, and regain his precious memories. It was not you who failed, please believe me…” Zelda implored.

Impa saw something flash through the look in Zelda’s eyes and decided this was not the road she wanted to go down. Not now.

“In any case,” Impa started, regaining her composure, “What are your immediate plans from here on? The evil has been contained and now there are more tangible, every day things we need to deal with. Hyrule needs its Princess…its Queen."

“I am not quite sure. I think I will need to call on your help once again in this matter. This is not the world I knew. And I don’t know that the people want or need a Princess, much less a Queen, right now," Zelda reasoned.

“The people. This land. They remember. The bloodline of the Goddess remains forever bound to this world and in the hearts and minds of the men, women, and children of Hyrule. 100 years is a mere drop in the ocean of its history,” explained Impa. Paya nodded.

“I want to do what’s right for them. I just don’t know if I’m ready,” said Zelda.

“You kept the Great Calamity at bay for a century. Alone. We, the Sheikah, are here with you now. And your Chosen Knight, stronger than ever, is at your side. There is nothing you can’t do,” said Impa, with certainty.

Zelda took a deep breath and looked at Impa with gratitude.

“She’s right,” Link said, simply.

“Thank you for your kindness,” replied Zelda, looking at them both in turn. “I will undoubtedly lean on you all for support. You have strengths that I lack and I will need to ask you the favor of lending them to me from time to time.”

“Spoken like a true and wise ruler,” Impa said, satisfied.

“Speaking of which, though I hope my father will guide me in spirit, I will need to speak to someone with experience in governing and see what they think of my ideas.”

“You plan on visiting Zora’s Domain, do you?” asked Impa, knowingly.

“Yes. I think Mipha’s father, King Dorephan, will want to speak with us. And, I hope that, despite his suffering, he will help guide me in the right direction,” Zelda said, sadness seeping into her voice.

“Hm. I think that is the correct course. Both for him and for you. In the meantime, you both will stay here for a few days and rest. I am going to send for my sister and Robbie. We will need to talk about what we can contribute to rebuilding Hyrule, now that it’s safe to do so. We will meet together. Here.”

Zelda nodded.

“Now…..eat!” instructed Impa.

\-------

Later that evening, Zelda slept without dreaming for once, and was awoken by the sound of driving rain outside the window next to where she slept. She had taken bedding in Paya’s room upstairs along with Impa. The soft glow of the small lantern on Paya’s desk fell upon the quietly sleeping women on the other side of the room. Zelda loved the sound of rain and couldn’t remember the last time she felt it on her face. It made her feel alive.

Lantern in hand, she went downstairs as quietly as possible and looked upon Link, who was given a make-shift but comfortable bed near the staircase. For someone who was always so vigilant, he was an incredibly deep sleeper. His body was even facing the wall instead of out toward the open space, which was always dangerous before. She hoped that he would be able to sleep without a care from now on and only wished mundane things for him. He, of anyone, deserved rest.

She spotted a an umbrella leaning up against the wall next to the main doors and softly stepped toward it. The latch on the door creaked a bit and she flashed a look back at Link but the sound did not betray her. Finally, she placed the lamp down where she stood, slipped out, and she closed the door just as gently behind her as she stepped outside.

Her ears felt assaulted at first. The downpour was heavy-laden and constant; every surface each drop struck echoed millions of small percussive notes at once. Zelda stood on the deck, and focused, trying to watch the rain fall as individual drops, each with their own cadence, allowing the steady, rhythmic sound to calm her as it always had before. She would need to get used to the vibrant sounds of the world after a hundred years of being surrounded only by the muted thickness of cocooned malice.

The hour was late and the rain would certainly have driven anyone who would be outside to find shelter. It was the perfect time for her to walk around a bit. For the first time in a long while, both Cado and Dorian were relieved of their duties so they could spend the evening with their families. After all, the Hero of Hyrule was taking lodgings within and the house could not be safer. Zelda opened up the umbrella and realized it was made out of a coated fabric. The raindrops each made muted little tapping sounds as they landed on top and she was already enjoying herself immensely. The village had bright lanterns hanging about intermittent posts along the small roads. Though the rain did impede visibility, she could still clearly see the two main roads that led in and out of the village. So, she opted to take the small narrow trail that went northwest; marked but unlit. As she walked, she reveled in the sound of the pouring rain as it hit her umbrella, the rocky walls on either side of her, and how it made the soil smell underfoot. Her eyes soon adjusted and, even in the darkness, she could still make out the shapes of the posts and wooden boards tied to them above her head; the mild breeze every now and then making them clack against each other. Their hollow wooden sounds created a counterpoint rhythm against the rainfall. The air smelled wet and fresh.

She slowly continued walking until the end until there was a fence marking off the trail. She couldn’t make out what exactly was beyond but she knew it was wide open space as it funneled the breeze to the village from there. She could make out the soft blue light of a shrine, perhaps another much farther out. To her immediate left, she noticed a formation of rocks. At first, she thought that’s just what it was, but as she approached closer, she realized there was a pattern. Guiding herself using her hands, she could make out by sight and touch that there was an indent that led into the center of the formation and then what looked like a tall stone, much taller than the rest. She wondered what the purpose of these stones were.

“Princess…”

Zelda gasped and spun around so quickly that she almost dropped the umbrella.

Several paces from where she stood was Link; she would recognize his silhouette anywhere.

“Goddess! My spirit nearly left me! What are you doing out here?” she asked breathlessly. Though Link didn’t answer, Zelda ran up to him and held the umbrella over his head.

“You’re soaked!”she announced.

“You’re getting soaked now,” he said, as Zelda held the umbrella fully over him.

“I don’t actually mind it.”

“Neither do I.”

\-------------

Coming up Next: Botw Visitations Part 4 – Kakariko III


	4. Part 4: Kakariko III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda and Link stay with Impa in Kakariko for a few days to iron out details with other dignitaries regarding the rebuilding of Hyrule and celebrate the beginning of a new era.

**Visitations Part 4: Kakariko III**

Zelda pursed her lips at Link as she held the umbrella over his head. He nonchalantly pushed it back over hers without a word. Some things hadn’t changed, she thought, as she still couldn’t seem to shake her shadow—though, admittedly, she minded far less now than when he was first appointed to her.

“If you catch a cold because of this, you know you’ll never hear the end of it from Impa,” Zelda reasoned.

Link seemed to think about that for a second.

Then he promptly grabbed the umbrella's shaft and pulled it back over his head.

“Hey!” Zelda huffed. But she couldn’t help but chase her protest with a smile. Every time a little of Link’s playfulness peeked through, she couldn’t resist being delighted.  Many times she had mulled over the idea of how often he would have been able to show that side of himself while growing up had he had the chance. He had so much responsibility to shoulder from such an early age, she doubted he ever had a proper childhood. Thinking about it, she supposed she could relate a little.

Just as soon as Link had pulled the umbrella over him, he also stepped in closer toward Zelda, trying to cover them both; the space of a breath now separating them. She wasn’t ready for the sudden proximity.

“I guess you wouldn’t want to hear it from Impa either,” he said.

“N-no…I really wouldn’t,” she admitted and looked down at their feet. “Where are your shoes?!” she found herself suddenly blurting. In the low, intermittent light that glanced through the moving clouds, she noticed he was barefoot.

“I didn’t think to put them on,” he simply stated.

She knew what that meant. He had just run out after her.

She looked away to her right. “I’m sorry if I worried you. I just wanted to take a walk in…”

“…in the rain. I know,” he said.

Zelda kept her head bowed, though it took much effort for her not to snap a look at him at that.

“How did you know?”

“You told me...once”

“I did?” she asked, finally looking at himn, confused. She didn’t remember saying anything of the like in the past several days. Furthermore, until tonight, it hadn’t rained over them.

Link looked past Zelda's left shoulder and began, “We were walking back toward your study from the library one night…it was very late and the low clouds started to weigh heavy in the air. It started to rain and you stopped to look out one of the windows in the west bastion. You stared outside for a while and were just listening to it, it seemed to me. ‘It’s such a wondrous thing to feel the heavens shower down upon you,’ you had said then. You wondered aloud if we could step outside and take a walk underneath the fall. I wasn’t sure if you were asking me or just thinking to yourself but, before I could say anything, you thought better of it and continued to your room,” Link recounted, almost hypnotically.

Zelda was stricken.

“You remember…” she stated, more than asked.

He nodded. “They are starting to be more frequent, these recollections. They’re not in much of an order but I think I can piece them together slowly. Usually it’s more of an impression that lingers. With this one, I remember feeling, more than anything,…that I wanted to have given you your wish that night.”

“Link, I….” Zelda said, without knowing quite how to respond or what she wanted to say. She found her voice caught in her throat.

“Also, I knew you went out because of the lantern light and the missing umbrella,” he finished off.

She blinked at him. How this one person could cause her to ascend the peaks and tumble down just as quickly was beyond her. But she couldn’t help but be amused.

“Well, you’re here now. Consider that wish fulfilled.”

He nodded at her.

She stepped to his left and turned to face the stone monument once more.

“Do you know what these rocks are for?” she asked, changing the subject but sincerely curious.

“It’s a memorial for the villagers who have passed,” Link said, flatly. “I know Lasli's husband is at rest here. Lasli's one of the merchants in the village . Her husband died fighting against monsters.”

“So awful. I hope you were able to give her some words of comfort,” Zelda said.

Link shuffled his feet, nervously, remembering his line of questions about it with Lasli not being quite....comforting.

“Are you all right?” Zelda asked, looking at his bare feet once more. “You must be chilled. Maybe we should head back “

“Maybe.”

The rain showers had softened into a faint drizzle and Link closed the umbrella. As they slowly walked back to Impa’s house, Zelda a few steps ahead of Link, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of fresh earth and water. They reached the foot of the stairs and Zelda began to ascend.

“A request, Princess,” said Link, stopping at the first step, looking down.

“Hm?” she said, as she turned to look at him.

“When I ran out, I couldn’t see you anywhere…” he began. “And I know it sounds strange but, it hasn’t been long since we found each other again…”

He was struggling. Though she couldn’t see his face, she heard the worry and strain in his voice.

“I just didn’t want to wake you.”

“I know.”

“Let’s go before Impa finds us missing.”

Link heard her come back down the steps and her extended hand appeared in his field of vision.

After a moment, he placed his hand in hers and looked up. She gently enfolded her other hand on top of his, almost in pledge.

“I’ll be more mindful next time. I promise,” she said, noticing his face cloud over.

In truth, when he woke due to the lantern’s glow and saw the missing umbrella, it took only a second to realize what was happening. What he didn’t expect was the feeling of panic engulf him. His mind told him that there was no more looming threat, no more overwhelming darkness that was ever on their heels. But that knowledge did nothing to ease the sudden constriction in his chest. When he ran outside, there was no trace of her, only the stark sound of rainfall. But something bade him toward the unlit path and he ran as fast as he could, not feeling the cold, wet blades of grass underfoot nor his clothes beginning to soak. And then he saw her, looking at the shrine of tragic loss and mourning, too many unwanted scenarios flashing through his mind. He had called out to her.

Link felt the gentle pressure of her hands holding his. “Forgive me…? Zelda appealed.

His face softened and he nodded.

“PRINCESS?!” came a shrill muffled cry from within.

Zelda closed her eyes and groaned, “Oh, Goddess...let’s get inside before she wakes the whole village.”

……………….

Soon after that early morning, when Zelda and Link were under chastisement that should truly never be borne by people who are, by all accounts, over a hundred years old, a warm bath and hot food did wonders in restoring their chilled bodies. By the time breakfast was over, Impa had already sent out two riders on diverging paths: one to Akkala and the other to Hateno.

Over breakfast, Impa wanted to discuss the villagers. Though it had been a century of cultivating a slow, agricultural life, they were still Sheikah and knew something had stirred in the world. Zelda and Link’s arrival in the village was seen as a harbinger of change, though they did not know who was at Link’s side. Already, rumors were circulating. Impa suggested that a quiet but open celebration should be had in order to quell any concerns or fears, but also to take the first step into healing the brokenness and disconnection between the land and the people ever since Hyrule fell into ruin.

Throughout the discussion, Link listened. He agreed with Impa’s words but knew Zelda had some trepidation.

“Waiting much longer will only be seen as you hiding,” Impa reasoned.

“I certainly don’t want that to be the impression. I only wish I had answers to the questions that I know will come,” Zelda replied, sincerely.

“There will be many questions, you’re right. I even have some myself, my friend. Whatever is asked, you need only answer to what you know. But, I promise you that all of this will stay within the walls of this village until Hyrule is ready to begin rebuilding. That word will come from you. Until then, we will begin to prepare ourselves; to fulfill our duty to the kingdom and the Goddess once again.”

After a few moments, Zelda nodded. “When will Purah and Robbie arrive?”

“By tomorrow morning.”

“Then I would like to meet with you, Link, Purah, and Robbie once they get here. Perhaps we could all share a meal with the villagers that evening. Nothing extravagant. Weather permitting, maybe we can all sit together outside,” suggested Zelda.

Impa smiled and called Paya from upstairs. “Child, tell everyone that we will have a communal meal together tomorrow night, in the village center. All are welcome.”

Paya’s eyes lit up. “Yes, grandmother!” she said, excitedly, “Let me get organized first.” Paya ran upstairs to retrieve a writing tablet and the list of village residents and then was out the door within seconds.

Zelda looked admiringly after Paya, long after she had left the house.

“Ah, youth,” Impa said, slyly.

……………………

With a hopefully auspicious day looming ahead, the rest of the afternoon and evening were spent sitting together and entertaining Paya with old memories, of which, surprisingly, Link contributed some of his own. Both Zelda and Impa were charmed to learn that he started to recount the day he and Impa had squared off in mock combat. At that time, Impa had snidely asserted that she might be better off being Zelda’s appointed knight rather than the runt of the Royal Guard. While Impa had been poking him partially in jest, Link had seemed to take it rather seriously and issued a challenge.  And Impa was never one to back down from a challenge. 

“With my age, I don’t even recall who won that duel anymore” shrugged Impa.

“I do,” Link stated, flatly.

“Hmph,” Impa exhaled through her nose, narrowing her eyes at Link and snapping her fan open rather brusquely.

Zelda smiled. “If it means anything to you, Impa, I was cheering for you.”

“Of course, you were, dear,” she beamed.

Link went back to snacking. Paya giggled.

“Still, it must have been hard for you to choose between grandmother and Master Link, Princess,” added Paya, enjoying the stories from the past.

Though Zelda was smiling, she looked at Paya with what seemed to be some sadness in her eyes.

“No. it wasn’t hard to choose at all,” Zelda said.

Paya’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

“You see,” Zelda continued, “I was quite adept at being awful to Link.”

 

 

**Next: Kakariko IV and then hopefully, finally, on the road to Zora’s Domain. I swear to the Goddess that I am trying to get our duo out of Kakariko Village but stuff keeps happening to them lol!**

 


	5. Part 5: Kakariko IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein Zelda apologizes to Link for being a complete bint a bit more deeply than she had a chance to before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Quick A/N: I am just going to assume, for the sake of this particular story, that Link did not read anyone's diaries/journals in Hyrule castle only because 1.) so that the characters in this story can reveal things for themselves and react accordingly and 2.) it seems weird out of the context of the actual game to think that Link spent any time standing around reading personal diaries when Zelda was fending off Ganon and telling Link to hurry TF up.)

Part 5: Kakariko IV

 

Paya thought she would burst from curiosity but she dared not press it any further at the time. Dinner was light as most of the party seemed preoccupied with the next morning and what was to come. She noticed that Link’s appetite, however, hadn’t wavered since their arrival. _Was he always this voracious?_ she wondered.

Against protestations, the Princess insisted on helping her clean up. Impa had gone upstairs to prepare notes for the meeting the next morning and Link had gone out to tend to the horses. The Princess chatted with her easily and sincerely, making her wish she herself could be so socially comfortable around others. She decided to take a cue from their exchange and muster the courage.

“Princess…I feel this might be beyond my standing and I hope it won’t offend you, truly. Please don’t feel obligated to answer in any way but…I wonder…” Paya began, as she held a wet cloth between her hands.

Something about her reminded Zelda of Mipha. Though Mipha certainly had much more confidence and carriage in her abilities and as Zora royalty, when it came to personal matters, they both seemed equally curious and tentative.

“Paya, you can ask me anything you wish. It is my hope that, in your own time, you would treat me as you would a sister,” assured Zelda, as she put the last of the platters away.

The idea that the Princess would be willing to be so open delighted her.

“Well, it’s just that, before, when we were having dinner, you mentioned that you were awful to Master Link. I just can’t imagine you being anything of the sort. Though I’m not trying to say you’re being false or anything but it didn’t seem like I should ask you about it at the time….oh, but it hardly seems appropriate now either…”

Zelda noticed the girl was now wringing the cloth in her hands, unwittingly causing water to seep out. She gently laid her hand on Paya’s shoulder, hoping to calm her fears.

“It’s true, I’m afraid. I treated him unkindly and, as I’m sure you’re able to tell, none of it was ever deserved. It’s only because he was accomplishing the things he set out to do as well as what was asked of him,” Zelda replied.

“I can see that about him, yes, but it’s hard to believe that you would begrudge him for those things,” Paya asserted.

“That is indeed what I did. I saw him fulfilling his every aspiration and it only made me realize how far I was from fulfilling my own. It seemed so easy for him as he reached and met every objective and I went so far as to resent him for it. Isn’t that incredible?” Zelda said, in disbelief even now at how childish she had been.

“It does seem hard to believe…” Paya said, trying to understand.

“I really have no excuse for it. I was only thinking about myself and I took it out on him. Every time I looked at Link, I saw the things I was still incapable of; that I had so many people depending on me but I was unable to do the **one thing** I was ordained to do. When you have a destiny, aren’t you supposed to fall in line on the road that Fate has so carefully carved out for you? Link seemed to do it so effortlessly; there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was the chosen one—the rightful bearer of the Sword that Seals the Darkness. Whereas, I…”

Zelda’s hand fell from Paya’s shoulder.

“…I, even to the very end, failed so utterly, to the ruin of all.” she continued. "On top of that, I could not have been more wrong about him."

Paya didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t thought her simple question born of curiosity would lead down such a dark and singularly painful track.

Zelda noticed the deeply etched concern on Paya’s face and could palpably feel the anxiety radiating out of her as to what her seemingly innocent question had come to.

“But that burden is mine alone to bear, and I will gladly bear it to the end of my days. It’s not something for which I expect forgiveness but I hope to rebuild what I had allowed to be destroyed.  And as for how I treated Link, it’s something I still think about quite often. How I’ll make amends for it, I do not know. But I hope to take whatever time I have left to try.”

Paya considered Zelda’s words carefully for a moment and said, “Princess, you know him far better than I, but it seems to me that he holds no ill will towards you about that, if he ever did. Maybe he understands far better than you think.”

Zelda looked at Paya appreciatively. “Maybe.”

………………

Paya and Zelda finished putting away the last of the settings and were about to head upstairs when they heard Link come back from the stables. Zelda stopped at the base of the stairs and looked up at Paya who only nodded and wished her goodnight.

“How are they doing?” Zelda asked, as Link closed the doors behind him.

“Well-fed and rested,” he said, simply. “Are you still thinking about leaving the morning after tomorrow?”

“I think so. I don’t want to keep King Dorephan waiting much longer,” she replied, “What do you think?”

“I know he would want to see you sooner than later but…I also don’t think you need to rush anything. If you want to stay with Impa longer, we can,” he said.

“Mm,” she nodded.

Zelda watched as he strode over to his bed and started to take his boots off. She noticed his hair was wet. He smelled of the woods and the spring.

“Took a bath along with the horses, I see,” she observed, amused.

“We were all in there. It seemed like a good idea,” he replied.

“Ever efficient,” she stated.

Link sat down and looked up at Zelda, who was still standing at the base of the stairs, hands clasped in front of her.

“Ready for tomorrow?” he asked, not sure he was ready himself.

“Yes…and no. I wanted talk with you about something, if that’s all right.”

He nodded and, as she walked toward his bed, he made room for her to sit next to him.

“About what I said at dinner…” she began.

Link immediately knew what she was referring to. He had hoped she would have set it aside somewhere; she had more pressing matters to think about than something like this, he thought. He looked down at his lap.

“It was a long time ago and you already apologized…” he interjected.

“It feels like yesterday to me,” she said, looking just as intently at her hands that were folded on her lap. “And I still feel as awful about it as I did back then and I never truly said anything properly. Will you hear me out?”

Link nodded.

Zelda sighed slowly. “I want you to know it wasn’t about you at all. I was just disappointed and frustrated at my own shortcomings and I took it out on you without any reason but my own callowness. I need you to know how sorry I am for the things I said and for the way I said them. I wasn't able to see past myself and assumed that everything was so easy for you when, on the contrary, you carried a burden beyond anyone's imagination. I only hope that, from now on, I will be able to show you how grateful I really was back then…and continue to be.”

“I understood it all,” Link said softly. 

Link turned to face him but he continued to look at the floor where he had placed his boots.

“Urbosa had told me as much that night when I arrived at Vah Naboris. But even before that, I saw it. At the shrines, within the castle walls, out in the fields researching…I knew your heart was always seeking what was best for our people and our land but each day that went by, I could see the burden grow heavier on you.”

“Yes. But, even still, I couldn’t blame anyone—our people, the nobles, and especially you—for despising me; a daughter of Hyrule’s royal family yet unable to use sealing magic.”

 “What I witnessed of you was the lengths you were willing to go to save us, at whatever the cost. I would not lay my life down to protect someone for anything less.”

And he did exactly that, she thought. He thought she was worth saving, regardless of her failures. Even when all was already lost, when his body was broken, he had shielded her. She didn’t understand.

“Your life is no less valuable than mine; now and especially then. You had the sword that seals the darkness and were prepared to fulfill your destiny and I...I was just a Princess of a kingdom burning. My father-King was killed. I told you to run. Your duty was long over.”

“I did not stay for duty,” he said, maybe more quickly and firmly than he wished to, looking at her now. 

Zelda bowed her head and closed her eyes, allowing the tears that had been pooling to finally fall. Her eyes felt hot but she could feel the tears cool as they rolled down her cheeks and drop off her chin.

Her eyes flew open as she felt his curled finger gently whisk away the succeeding flow of tears from her face.

 In the soft glow of the lanterns, she looked up at him. She vowed to embrace this care he’d always given as it would surely sustain her in her efforts to make sure that Hyrule would rise again as it did back then before it had fallen.

“Can you forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive, Princess.”

He wished she could see her the way he did. Before he could begin to tell her this, she leaned and, with a lightness of a feather, she brushed her lips against his face with a soft kiss. He remained fixed.

“Thank you, always, with all that I am. And goodnight,” she said, as she withdrew.

She slowly rose and went upstairs to sleep and face the new morning.

Link, on the other hand, barely slept.  


\----------

Next: Robbie and Purah arrive!


	6. Part 6: Kakariko V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robbie and Purah arrive to meet and talk about strategies to rebuild the country and our heroes have a celebratory dinner with the villagers before a long day ahead of them tomorrow.

**Visitations Part 6: Kakariko V**

Purah and Robbie arrived just before sunrise, though neither were trying to keep their voices low in consideration of the villagers. Impa heard them from a distance away, bickering as they did in their youth. Thankfully, she was already awake and ready to receive them in the main room. She was surprised to find that Link was already awake as well, though his eyes seemed to convey he spent the night ill-rested.

“You ought to learn to respect your elders!” shouted Robbie, as they both barged into Impa's abode side by side.

“You’re only a few months older than I am, old man!” Purah countered.

“Well, people wouldn’t know that by looking at OR listening to you, would they?” he continued to grouse.

Purah stuck her tongue out at him.

“You’ve only just proven my point,” Robbie declared.

Impa cleared her throat.

“Big sis!” cried Purah, rushing over to embrace her. “It’s been so long!”

If Link hadn’t told her about Purah’s age regression research and subsequent “success,” Impa wouldn’t have believed what she was seeing before her. When she had first heard about it, she admitted she wasn’t surprised at the notion that her sister would be chasing after such rune research. She remembered Purah talking about giving Hyrule’s soldiers the advantage of always staying strong and ready by keeping them as young and fit as possible. It wasn’t until Link told her about Purah’s research during his frequent visits that she was able to connect the dots from Purah’s initial hypothesis.

“You’ve always been welcome here to visit. After all, I’m not nearly as agile these days as you are,” Impa said, wryly.

“As soon as I’ve perfected the rune, you and I are going to try this together and we’ll both be as good as 100 years ago!” said Purah, exuberantly.

“I’m perfectly fine with my wrinkles, sister.”

“Something tells me you might change your mind if you knew you could go back to your twenties and help Princess Zelda just as you did back then,” Purah reasoned. “Speaking of, where is our Princess?? I am so excited to see her!”

“She’ll be down in a moment,” Impa said, then nodded at Robbie, genuinely. “Welcome back to Kakariko.”

“It’s good to be back,” he said, returning the sincere reception. Impa remembered that Robbie would have preferred to stay at Kakariko himself all those years ago, as it was his hometown, but he honored the decision for them to separate into three distant locales in order to increase the chances that at least one of them would survive to help Link if and when he woke up from his long Slumber. It pained Robbie to leave Kakariko for an indefinite amount of time but agreed that Impa would stay and he’d accompany Purah to Hateno before heading to Akkala himself.

“Things haven’t changed much over the years,” Robbie noted about the look of the village, his demeanor much calmer than it was when he entered the room.

“Time seems to have stood still for us in only that manner…at least for some of us,” Impa said, quickly darting her eyes over to her sister.

“Linky!” cried Purah, as Link came in from the back room, likely getting himself something to eat. “You did it! We’re so proud of you! My runes must have come in handy.”

“I am sure my Ancient Gear and Weaponry gave him a great advantage in his battles,” Robbie interjected.

Impa sighed.

“I don’t know if I would have made it without the both of you helping me,” Link said, diplomatically.

“Well, it’s the least we could do, right? Purah said.

“Right!” agreed Robbie. “After all….we Sheikah…we couldn’t…I couldn’t help you back then, Link.” said Robbie, more quietly.

Before Link could respond, he heard Zelda make her way downstairs.

“Purah! Robbie!” she cried and ran to them the rest of the way, scooping both of them up in either of her arms in her embrace. “I’m so glad to see you!”

Purah giggled and Robbie turned a beet red, his goggles gyrating every which way. Zelda set them down and knelt before them, overjoyed.

“Princess! Aren’t you surprised by how I look?” queried Purah.

“Link prepared me well for our meeting,” she replied, smiling.

“Come to think of it, you haven’t aged a day…and you didn’t even use a rune!” Purah laughed.

Robbie was still turning different shades of red as he stood off to the side and kept pulling the hem of his Sheikah tunic straighter than it could ever be.

Paya came downstairs, ready to meet everyone and prepare for their long day ahead. Impa had often spoken of her Great Aunt and of Robbie but they’d been separated for the last 100 years as they’d agreed. She was excited to meet such esteemed members of the clan, especially one that was a part of her family. She wondered if her Great Aunt Purah was like her grandmother in any way.

“Ah, my dear Paya,” Impa said, “I want you to meet Doctor Robbie, the premiere researcher of Ancient Technology, and my good friend. Robbie, this is my grand-daughter, Paya.”

“It’s an honor to meet you,” said Paya, bowing.

“Likewise,” replied, Robbie, saluting, flattered and grateful for the attention to be away from that recent display of embarrassment.

“And Paya, this is your Great Aunt and my dear sister,” Impa said, gesturing to Purah.

“EHHHH?!” exclaimed Paya, aghast, eyes wide in confusion.

“Did I not tell you, child?” Impa asked with a sly smile, “I suppose it slipped my mind.”

……………………………………..

The morning meeting, which went long into the afternoon, was spent planning, drinking tea, and eating all sorts of dishes that, Zelda was astonished to learn, Link had begun cooking before anyone else was awake. According to Paya, Link had figured, since he wasn’t able to sleep, he may as well make himself useful. Paya was amazed to see many dishes already prepared when she had stepped into the back galley after the initial introductions. Zelda had complimented her on the cooking as an aside during the long meeting, which was when Paya informed her that it was all Link’s doing. Zelda was certainly taken aback but she supposed there wasn’t much her companion could not do.

“I guess that settles things…for the near future anyway,” concluded Purah.

“So, I will begin planning the details on surveying, tallying, organizing, and distributing the Guardians to start re-building structures. We’ll have to agree on priority but, with as many working Guardians as there are, we can perform multiple projects at the same time,” Robbie explained.

Purah picked up right where Robbie left off, “As soon as I get back to Hateno, I’ll start working immediately on how the runes in the Sheikah slate can be extracted to use for rebuilding as well. I am sure with the Guardians and my runes combined, we will be able to restore most major structures and infrastructure within a year and then start spreading that out to the more rural areas as needed.”

“Hm...” Zelda murmured, almost to herself. The others turned to her. “I think we will also need to send out delegations of Sheikah with one of the smaller Guardians,” she continued, as she referred to one of Robbie’s drawn schematics that he had brought that showed the different types of Guardians. “People who remember what happened a hundred years ago may still harbor distrust and fear of them. And those that don't have been raised on rumors and stories. I think we need to try and show them that they are being used to help us now and that there is nothing to fear anymore. Maybe two Sheikah can accompany one to different villages and settlements to explain the plan on a smaller scale and answer people’s questions. I want to make sure their concerns are addressed before we start anything. That way, they can also let us know if there’s anything immediate that’s needed in their region. That’ll help us gather information and prioritize better as well.”

Purah and Robbie nodded.

“I concur,” Impa said, simply. “Perhaps Symin and Jerrin can each be given the task of creating a training program that can be used to educate the Sheikah delegates who are chosen. They will need all the knowledge available in order to field questions from the citizens. After all, it has been many years since anyone alive has even seen one of us, let alone a Guardian they shouldn't fear.”

"You're right," Zelda said, thoughtfully. "Maybe that would be too much without any warning. I should precede the surveyors myself and let our people know what to expect. After I visit the the leaders of the regions, I shall ask to hold a general meeting with the residents there."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Paya, though remaining silent through most of the meeting, diligently took notes and was proud to be a part of the start of the rebuilding of a new Hyrule. She was overcome with excitement and admiration for all involved. Thinking about all that there needed to be done was overwhelming but it was obvious to her that the people in the room were going to accomplish what they set out to do. And she would do everything in her power to help. 

“Robbie. Purah.” Impa began, clearing her throat. “Now that there is no need for separation and distance, what do you think about moving all of your research here to Kakariko? It might be helpful to be in the same place.”

“I…I think I would like that very much,” said Robbie, a little choked up.

 “Sure, why not? As long as we can figure out a way to relay the blue flame as needed, we should be fine,” agreed Purah.

“You can take your time to begin the transition process but I will make sure you have the supplies you need for the move and that there will be a place ready for each of you,” Impa assured. After a short pause she said, “It will be good to have you both here, together, with me.”

Paya was moved to tears. At last, her grandmother would be with her old companions again after all this time.

\------------------------

It wasn’t long after the meeting was concluded that they had to prepare for the communal dinner with the residents. Zelda felt anxious but also eager to be out in the open finally. She didn’t feel good about being cooped up all day but, most of all, she didn’t like the feeling of hiding herself away, especially after all the talk during the meeting of the future and moving forward.

Outside, the main plaza of the village was bustling with people preparing for the dinner. Over the years, the village had had these sort of events before in celebration and sometimes even in mourning. But this was a unique day. By this time, word had spread quickly and everyone knew what the occasion was. Colorful streamers were tied and draped around the lantern poles, shimmering lights were lit over the numerous long tables arranged for the meal. The night felt magical and the excitement was palpable in the air.

Each group of residents were put in charge of specific traditional dishes or beverages so that there would be enough for all. Paya had it all organized and things were running smoothly, even though there was only a few days to prepare.

When it was time to start, Impa was already outside, ready to address the villagers. Paya went upstairs to check on the Princess.

“I admit, I feel a little strange donning this again,” Zelda said, as Paya helped her put the finishing touches on.

“I made sure your white ceremonial dress looks good as new. It was quite a sight when you unpacked it,” said Paya, as she smoothed down the layers.

“It has been through quite an ordeal, in truth.”

“An ordeal none of us can imagine. And yet, it has endured…and is as beautiful as ever.”

Zelda took a moment and breathed deeply. “Paya, could you…could you walk out with me?”

“Of course! But, where is Master Link?”

“I actually don’t know. He excused himself and disappeared shortly after the meeting.”

“I’m sure he will be back soon.”

“Mm,” nodded Zelda, as she hooked her arm with Paya's, affectionately.

They headed downstairs. Zelda hoped for as little pomp as possible but also knew she would embrace the role she was born into if Hyrule was going to be fully restored.

“Sheikah!” Impa announced, over the hum of voices. “Our Princess has returned to us.”

Zelda inwardly thanked Impa for not saying anything long and drawn out. Her old friend knew her well.

The villagers were already seated and had been murmuring and chatting away but when Impa spoke, the crowd hushed immediately, turning their attention to the figures coming down the steps of Impa’s house.

Zelda stopped at the foot of the stairs, and, under the trellis, she stood and surveyed the gathering as Paya joined Impa at the head table.

It was as if everyone was holding their breath. They all stared at Zelda; some in wonder, some in joy, some in admiration. Suddenly, a voice burst out among them, breaking the silence.

“OUR PRINCESS IS BACK!”

Then cheers erupted as if a long spell had broken. Zelda clasped her hands, closed her eyes, and bowed her head. When she opened them again, she saw a small child standing at her feet.

“Are you really a Princess?” the little girl asked, looking up at her curiously.

“Cottla, child, come back to your seat!” Zelda heard a man shout.

She knelt down and looked at the little girl, “That seems to be the title I’ve had all my life, yes, little one.”

“Can I be a Princess, too?” Cottla asked.

“I’d be happy for you to be my Princess, if you’d have me,” Zelda replied, immediately charmed.

“Can Princesses play hide-and-seek?”

“Of course they can! They really should, now that I think about it.”

“Then let’s play together.”

“It’s a promise. But may we have dinner first?”

“Yeah, I’m hungry!”

Zelda chuckled and picked up the little girl in her arms, returning her to the man who had called out. Dorian.

After taking her seat next to Impa, everyone else took their seats as well. The chair on the other side of Zelda was conspicuously empty.

“Thank you, everyone, with all my heart, for receiving me so fondly. I hope you will forgive my long absence and know that I will do everything in my power to make sure Hyrule returns to a thriving, prosperous age again. The Sheikah have ever been an integral part of the kingdom’s growth and an important ally to the throne. I hope that you will be at my side once more as we work together. I cannot do this without your help. I put my confidence and trust in you, where it deserves to be, as we move forward. Tonight, we celebrate the defeat of an age-old evil that kept this land imprisoned and in fear. I look forward to carving a new era of knowledge, growth, and abundance with you. If you would, please take a moment to come and talk with me. I long to meet you all. May the Goddess smile upon you and bless this meal you have made.”

The villagers cheered and started to dine, most of them looking back at the Princess, almost to make sure she was really there.

Zelda took her seat. Impa placed her hand on Zelda’s underneath the table and gave it a gentle squeeze, nodding at her in encouragement.

Link still had not arrived and Zelda began to feel anxious until she finally saw him glide from the shrine atop the village and disappear into's Impa's house. The villagers didn't seem to pay him much mind as if that was a normal occurrence. She had almost finished her meal when he finally took his seat next to her.

“Where have you been?” Zelda asked, aside.

It was then that she noticed something in his hands. He placed it on the table in front of her.

“What is…” Zelda’s eyes widened in recognition. ”Is that….?”

“It took some time to track down Tabantha wheat using the Sheikah Slate. They ran out in Gerudo Town so I had to go to Rito Village,” Link replied, nonchalantly, starting to dig into the selection of morsels spread around the table.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had tasted the light, delicate sweetness of Royal Fruit Cake. It harkened back to a more carefree time and it brought memories of her father to the forefront, as he would enjoy asking the Royal Chef to prepare one especially for Zelda, knowing it was her mother’s favorite as well.

“Oh, Link…” Zelda said, her voice breaking. “How….?”

“I found some books while I was making my way through the castle the first time. I thought maybe they would be important to keep for the future.”

“Thank you so much. This was my mother’s favorite. I’m so happy the recipe wasn’t lost,” she said, bending her head toward Link, trying not to be conspicuous, but the emotion in her voice belied her calm exterior.

“I’m glad,” said Link, sincerely. “But you should probably taste it first before you thank me.”

………………………

The night continued on in celebration with food and drink overflowing. The villagers greeted Zelda personally and introduced themselves, reaffirming their loyalty to the kingdom of Hyrule and their bond with the royal family. They then returned to the festivities with more drink and story-telling of ages past.

Link ate until he was bellyful and enjoyed watching the banter between Impa, Robbie, and Purah, entertaining as it was. Later, he noticed that Zelda had been gone from her seat longer than he was comfortable with and darted his eyes around the crowd, thinking she might be visiting at others' tables. There was a noticeable lack of golden hair among them. Then, he caught a glimpse of it from the corner of his eye, and he turned his attention up to the porch around Impa’s house, where he saw Zelda chasing after a laughing Cottla.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next in Chapter 7: Leaving Kakariko (FINALLY!)


	7. Part 7: Leaving Kakariko/Onward to Zora's Domain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda part ways with the denizens of Kakariko and make their way toward Zora's Domain for their meeting with King Dorephan. Link talks about his interactions with the Champions' spirits.

Visitations Chapter 7: Leaving Kakariko/En Route to Zora's Domain

 

On the one hand, Zelda would have preferred leaving in the early morning, before light broke.  That way, she could avoid any protracted farewells or undeserved ceremonial rituals that would arise if she found herself in the midst of a gathering crowd. But, on the other, she found herself lingering; packing and unpacking items only to pack them again, re-arranging, hand-feeding her horse instead of letting her go at the trough, wishing time could slow for a bit. Link was ready to go at dawn. But he didn’t press her on it, knowing well why she was taking her time.

Link had already confronted his missing and now regained memories of the Zora when he had traveled there to regain control of Vah Ruta. He had faced the citizens, the elders with their long grudge and, most importantly, King Dorephan and Prince Sidon. The rush of memories, familiar yet foreign, was not easy to take in especially when faced with an understandable hostility as well as the additionally charged information that Mipha had once considered asking him to become joined. He had always enjoyed his visits with her and the Zora; they were a jovial people and, perhaps due to their longevity, their childhood or even child-like nature lasted well into adulthood, a bit of which he envied. Mipha would always be at his side during his visits and he enjoyed her company; it was time in which he could set aside, even just for a little while, the destiny he carried with him ever since he could remember, and just be a kid again. More than anyone else, she had helped him find the joy of his youth, even if it didn’t last very long, and he would always be grateful to her for that. 

The thought that he would never get to convey how grateful he was to Mipha in this lifetime weighed heavy on his heart. So, better than anyone, he understood that just as much as he felt responsible for protecting Zelda then and now, Zelda herself felt responsible for all of the Champions’ lives that fateful day. And with this burden she would go and face King Dorephan and his people. When Link fell in the swamp a hundred years ago, as Zelda held him in his arms, all he could remember thinking was how he was leaving her alone and without fulfilling his promise. As consciousness slipped away and he looked into her pleading eyes, he clutched at words to convey his regret, to beg for her forgiveness. But none would come and he lapsed into a hundred years. Zelda was now at that place.

“Link?”

He looked up to see Zelda coming out of the stalls.

“Something interesting in the water?” she asked, liltingly.

He realized he had been standing with a bucket of water in his hands and staring intently down at it for a while. 

“No. I was just thinking,” he replied.

“Mm. There’s quite a lot of that to be done,” she acknowledged.

“Are you ready to leave?” he asked. 

“Well, I think I’ve been ready to go for the better part of the morning. Ready to leave…? I’m not so sure."

Link nodded his head in understanding.   

“It would be quite disappointing to have my first act of regency of any kind to be standing up the King of Zora, wouldn’t it?

“He IS already expecting us.”

“Yes, it’s a good thing Impa sent word ahead. Otherwise, I might not have the courage to face him,” she said, smiling, though she couldn’t convince herself she was completely joking.

“You have more courage than anyone I know,” Link said, without hesitation.

Zelda’s eyes widened both at the content and the temerity of his words.

“That’s quite lofty praise…coming from you, especially,” she found herself saying.    

 

Link scratched the back of his head and looked away, the water sloshed against the sides of the bucket as he did so.

“I suppose we should start our farewells, then,” Zelda said, finally. “I’ll wait for you to water the horses and we can go together.”   

He nodded and walked past her, heading into the stalls. Zelda turned her face into the softly blowing breeze and allowed herself a small smile.

\----------------------

"Don't you worry, Princess! Little sis and I will make sure it aaaall works out! "exclaimed Purah. ”You just do what you gotta do."

"I have all the faith in you ladies...and in Robbie, of course" assured Zelda, before Robbie could react to being left out.

"Our plans are already set in motion. Expect big things," he declared.

"Everything's big to him, if you think about it," Purah edged in.

"Have you measured yourself lately?" countered Robbie.

Impa stepped in between them as if parting a curtain. "Be careful on your journey. The road is a winding one and it will likely take you a few days with rest along the way. There are still dangers lurking about," she warned. "Try not to travel at night."

Zelda knelt down and took Impa's hands in hers. "Thank you, my friend. I'll be seeing a lot more of you soon. Until then, you must be well; we have many things we need to do together."

"These days, I feel as if I've shed all the feebleness of age," she beamed.

 

"I can help make that into reality..." asserted Purah, in a sing-songy voice. Robbie just shook his head.

Paya stood by silently, watching all the heartfelt goodbyes and sincere wishes. Her eyes started to feel hot as she watched her grandmother embrace the princess and assure her she would be around for a long time coming. Paya thanked the goddess for allowing her to see so much of her grandmother's hopes come true.

"Paya..." started Zelda as she turned to her finally.

"Hmm? I mean, yes, Princess?" she replied, caught a little off guard.

"When we are ready, I hope that I can also call upon you to join us. We will be in need of your skills."

"My skills...?" Paya repeated.

"Yes, you have great skills in organization and research. Link told me that you had figured out the secret of the ancient artifact and I've seen what you can do in just the few days I've been here. I will very much need your help in the coming days," affirmed Zelda.

"Of course, I'm honored that you would even consider me but...the village...and grandmother..."

"I can personally recommend her," Impa interjected. "She will make a fine choice as your escort when the time comes."

"Well, I couldn't ask for a finer reference," replied Zelda. "So it's settled...that is, if you agree to it, of course, Paya."

"Whatever knowledge and skill I have learned from my clan, it would be a privilege to somehow be of service to you and the kingdom," stated Paya, with more confidence in her voice than any one of them had ever heard before.

"Believe me, you already have," Zelda responded. "I will send for you soon."

Paya nodded then turned to Impa, her brows knitted with worry. Between grandmother and grand-daughter, Zelda noticed Impa's expressions pass in quick succession, from glowing pride to steely assurance.

Link had brought the horses along after he had watered them so they could immediately set off. Lingering much longer after their farewells seemed to him only prolonging the melancholy, and he didn't want that for anyone.

"Take care, Linky! I guess I don't have to tell you anything regarding the Princess!"exclaimed Purah.

"She seems in good hands," Robbie said, almost as an aside.

"Yeah, you're right," Purah replied.

"I'll have to write that down so you're on record," he said.

"Ha! There's always a first time for everything, you know?" Purah said, chuckling. "Besides," she said, pausing, in a lower tone, "you know how much I respect you and your work."

"Oh...I...well, then..." Robbie muttered then cleared his throat.

Link caught Impa's eyes as he mounted Epona and she smiled at him. He was glad to notice that she was doing that much more easily these days. Before, the lines around her eyes seemed set much more deeply than now.

Zelda was already turning her horse to face the western trail leading out of Kakariko when she noticed it was becoming flanked with villagers. They slowly began to fill the space along the foot of either cliff side, each holding a wildflower. Suddenly Koko ran up to Link and handed him a small pouch, cinched closed with red drawstring.

"This one is my own recipe!" exclaimed Koko. "It's just a simple thing but I think mother would have like it! Make sure you share with the Princess and don't eat it all by yourself."

She giggled and ran back toward her father before Link could say anything in response. He could smell a sweet, roasted aroma wafting from the pouch. He waved at Dorian as he put the pouch away, looking forward to trying the confection later.

Looking at the gathering villagers, Zelda knew what was coming and was both moved and inspired. The tradition of laying down a path of flowers for member of the royal household or knight heralded the anticipation of a great deed as well as the hope and faith of the citizens upon those walking the path. Looking upon the trusting faces of those lining the way, it made her that much more determined in purpose. She would not and could not fail as it was not just her strength alone on which she could rely to carry her through. Her heart swelling with gratitude and resolution, she acknowledged each of them as she and Link slowly made it out of the village at last.  

\---------------------------

Neither exchanged words for quite some time after their horses carried them at a clipped pace out of the alcove. The muted hoof beats as the horses tread on the long grass, the rhythmic jangling of their bits and bridles, and the occasional birds calling in the distance were the only sounds that accompanied them. It wasn't until they had reached Wetland Stable that Link finally spoke.

"We're making good time. At this pace, we could just keep going and break at Woodland Stable instead. It's farther north than we need to go but not out of the way. And it would save us half a day. Or we could just stop here."

Zelda thought on it for a moment. "Will the horses be all right if we press on to Woodland Stable?" she inquired.

"We should stop for a time to let them drink and graze but, yes, they'll be fine for this one leg. Are you sure you want to keep going?"

Zelda sighed. "It's an odd sense, really. I feel this urgency to get there as soon as possible; I've been biding more than enough time already and we have so much to set in motion. But...I wouldn't be completely truthful if I weren't to admit that a part of me dreads this meeting. Seems a hundred years has not done much to improve my selfishness," she said, as she laughed nervously. "I don't yet know what I should say to the King once we arrive. How does one ask for pardon in having caused the loss of such a beloved daughter...?"

Link was no stranger to duty and extreme expectations. It was a role he fell into exceptionally well and accepted with all his being, as if it was second nature to him. The line he had trouble navigating was where his duty and his personal feelings intertwined. Though one might influence the other at times, in order for him to stay focused without outside impingement was to keep his personal thoughts to himself and only act. Ultimately, his decision was to withdraw almost completely, to the point where he barely spoke unless absolutely necessary. This tended to create interpersonal distance but, in the long run, it helped him to remain true to his calling with minimal digression. Zelda, however, didn't have the luxury of that choice. Her duty was to lead both by words and deeds; a near-mute Princess would not an inspirational ruler make. And, growing up along-side her as a Hyrulean citizen and as her appointed knight, he witnessed numerous times where her decisions were informed by her compassion just as much as they were by practicality and wisdom.

Her rhetorical question hung in the air between them when Link finally spoke. "Let's stop here for the night. It's early but it means we can set up camp while it's still light out."

Zelda nodded.

The stables were only for their use as landmarks on the journey rather than places to stay for the night. It had been decided that it would cause some confusion and sleepless nights for all involved should people find out that the princess of a kingdom long since destroyed was staying at their stable. So, until the time to reveal herself came, Impa had suggested that camp be made nearby the stables along the way; enough to ward off wandering monsters but not close enough to garner attention.  Link had agreed and said it'd be best to let the horses graze around their camp as they'd raise an alarm should danger approach.

They chose to make camp just south of the stable, right outside the adjacent small woods. He suggested they stay under the canopy of trees but, much to Link's surprise, Zelda seemed almost giddy with the notion of sleeping in the open near the river.

"Maybe I’ve grown too wary of small spaces," was all she offered up as explanation. "Besides, it would be wonderful to fall asleep while looking at the stars."

Both Link and Zelda unpacked the necessary supplies for the night and then allowed their horses to roam freely. He started a small fire and they rolled their bedding out nearby its flames. Being by the bank of the river, the ground was much softer and pliable, making it a comfortable place to rest. Once they settled, Link pulled out the small pouch Koko had given him in the morning. The contents had cooled but the aroma was still enticing.

"What's this?" Zelda queried as he offered some to her first. She was already reaching into the pouch before hearing an answer.

"You know Dorian's daughters...Koko gave it to me before we left this morning and asked me to share with you. She's an aspiring chef."

"It smells wonderful," Zelda replied as she drew the small, leaf-covered morsel under her nose to take in its aromatic sweetness. She quickly realized that the leaf was just a way to package and retain the shape of the actual snack so she carefully unwrapped it. The contents were a small, dense, but soft chunks of what seemed like rolled, ground corn, baked into squares. They took a bite and realized that inside the morsel was a glutinous filling of honey-sweetened chickaloo nuts, finely chopped. They couldn't resist eating another piece but were surprised to find that two were enough to fill their stomachs to contentment. It was the perfect food for traveling.

The moon was waxing crescent that night, and as its light disappeared, the sky bloomed into countless starry motes. They were both lying on their backs and staring into the night sky when Zelda heard one of the horses nickering in the distance to the east and, without missing a beat, Link whistled a short response in return.

"Epona's just checking on us," he explained, when he noticed that Zelda had propped herself up on one elbow and was looking at him.

"I see," she said, raising her eyebrows and lying back down. "You'll have to teach me the equine language some time. So much to learn." She looked at the sky once again and folded her hands over her stomach.

For a while, she closed her eyes and listened to the flowing river, the intermittent splash of fish breaching the water, and the crickets starting their eventide song.

"Everyone lost people dear to them."

Zelda's eyes flew open.

"What you were saying before...about Mipha's father..."

She slowly turned her head to face Link as he seemingly spoke to the night. She could see him on the other side of the flames as they lit up the left side of his face, the rest in shadow. His eyes were open but relaxed.

"You lost your father," he continued, "and the kingdom lost their king. My father, too, died, I'm sure while defending the castle. So many lost their family and friends suddenly..."

Zelda turned her face back to look up at the stars once more. As many as she could see in her field of vision, she was sure they could each account for every life that was stolen on that terrible day. She slammed her eyes shut and covered her face with her hands.

She knew that, in between the time after Ganon was finally defeated and now, there were numerous things to consider, many of which were prioritized or set aside purposefully. Among them was confronting the fact that Hyrule was decimated in the wake of one person's failure: her own.  It was ever-present, always constricting a part of her heart and mind but she forcefully concentrated on other things in order to function. Back then, she had barely enough time to acknowledge it before she and Link had to keep running for their lives through Hyrule field and onto Ash Swamp where it all ended. It was still too much to bear.

"...including us," Link concluded.

Zelda barely heard him as she wondered why the Goddess had forsaken her all that time. Did she not do everything asked of her? Had she been praying the wrong way; not saying the right words? In the latter days, she remembered having a feeling of foreboding overcome her just before the Calamity awoke; her feelings of desperation then turning to helplessness. Why hadn't she been able to prevent all this as it had been prescribed for her? Others of her line before her were able to fulfill their destiny...but not her. Everyone had been set in their place: The Champions had mastered their Divine Beasts, the Guardians were made well-prepared to defend, and Link was ever at her side--the Master Sword in his able charge. The missing piece in the age-old formula was her and it had cost everyone dearly, the repercussions still being felt to this day. She sat up and brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

"I am so, so sorry...." Zelda said, her words strained and trembling. "I would give anything to go back and change what happened." She covered her face with her hands, ashamed to face Link or anyone for that matter.

She hadn't heard him approach but felt him gingerly take her hands away from her face and hold them in his. He had made his way over to her and was now kneeling beside her. She couldn't bring herself to look up at him still.

"I didn't say this to cause you more pain, Princess. It is not your burden..." he said.

"But your father..."

"And yours...we all suffered greatly, you as well; no less than any of us. If you could have prevented it, you would have done it. But Urbosa was right, it was not time."

"Urbosa...?" asked Zelda, confused, as she finally looked up at Link, her eyes wet with tears. "She...spoke to you?"

He nodded.

"When? How?"

"When I entered Vah Naboris, she was there to guide me. They each came to my aid within their Divine Beasts."

Zelda looked down once more. While trapped within Ganon, both a prisoner of his as well as his captor, Zelda was able to sense Link's every trial and victory as if a measurable amount of wrong was being righted, especially within the Divine Beasts as Ganon's control over them were each wrested away. And though she was able to feel their presence and turmoil while trapped within their respective Divine Beasts, she hadn't known that the spirits of her fallen friends had manifested themselves to Link. The thought that they were confined there both in their last living moments and as spirits all this time could hardly be endured.

"I should have told you all of this sooner but it was never the right time. All of the Champions, our friends, they don't blame you for anything. Neither should you." explained Link.

Zelda kept her head bowed as he held her hands in his steadfastly.  

"How could they not?" she finally spoke. "Their spirits lingered on for all they suffered."

"No, it was their own choice to stay. More than anything, they wanted to fulfill their promise and waited for the day they could finally do that. You gave them that chance...and to me, as well."

Zelda just shook her head.

"That night, as we neared Fort Hateno..."

She bristled. Her mind flew to that dreadful time and she saw the images she had tried so hard to avoid: the Guardians in which she had once put so much hope relentlessly chasing after them, fields burning, destruction, chaos, and Link...holding Link in her arms and watching his eyes flutter to a close and his body go limp. She could still feel the weight of him as his form went slack.

"Even with my life-long training and preparation in becoming your appointed knight...I couldn't protect you.  Instead, I left you to fight alone. So I, too, was unable to fulfill my promise. But you were strong enough for all of us and gave us the chance again. I will always be thankful for that and I know the Champions feel the same. Especially Urbosa. She wanted you to know that...that she's very proud of you."

With those words, Zelda couldn't hold down the lump that was forming in her throat any longer. She inhaled and let out a wrenching sob, her hands tightly gripping Link's. He held on.

When Zelda's breaths became more even, he continued on.

"You may think the outcome one hundred years ago was because of the sealing powers, but with all of our preparation, we couldn't have foreseen what would happen. We were not even able to get close to Calamity Ganon then. With all the Guardians and Divine Beasts between us, I couldn't have been able to weaken it and you couldn't have had the chance to use your sealing power, even if you had it. We were completely overrun and all we could do was try to escape. The only one to blame for all that we've lost is the Calamity alone."

"I know your words to be true in my mind," she replied, softly. "But in my heart, I will never fully be able to absolve myself for my part in this."

"You knew Urbosa much better than I did. But even I knew she was never one to say something she didn't mean. And, as much as you respected her then, I hope you will take her words to heart now. We all had our parts to play and, as she said, this is the way it had to happen. You must be thinking about some sort of atonement but if the last one hundred years wasn't it, I don't know what could be. Because of you, the Champions have fulfilled their duty and were able to move on. So, before you see the King tomorrow, whatever you plan on saying, again, you must know,  that they...we...are all very proud of you and wish the same for you."

Zelda listened in silence, her heart struggling to reconcile with this newfound knowledge.

In the time she had gotten to know Link, she knew him to be of few words. But the words he did speak were always forthright and reliable and, due to that nature, she came to depend on them as counsel just as much as insight. If she were to be of any help to her kingdom, she knew she would have to heed wisdom now more than ever. She just hoped her heart would soon meet her there.

"Thank you...sincerely," she said, looking up at him once more, her eyes were soft but seemed, to him, more resolute than they had been all night.

Zelda felt him grasp her hands firmly and then let go, slowly getting up to return to his place on the other side of the fire. She watched him walk over, lie down, and seemingly fall asleep almost immediately. She wished she knew how he did that. But she figured with as much as he has had to do recently, he had to train himself to get as much as sleep as possible whenever he could. It was a marvel how much he was able to discipline himself at will and follow through. His earnestness and integrity only made his words that much more potent.  

She remembered having a strange feeling at the gates of the castle after Ganon was defeated. She and Link had gone there to have one last look at its ruined façade before heading off to gather supplies for their journey north to see the Deku Tree. As they turned to leave, she had felt a sudden sensation of solemnity then an inexplicable lightness. It was so strong that she was compelled to turn back around and look up at the main tower, only to be filled with something of an emptiness. There was a finality to it such that she knew she wouldn’t feel it again if she returned and a thought had entered her mind that she could never get rid of: That she regretted never getting to say goodbye to her father and to her friends.

Urbosa, who was like a mother to her, her friends who gave their lives to protect Hyrule, her father who ultimately was looking to protect his people, and Link who had already sacrificed so much…she knew she owed it to them to stay strong. That night, as the fire popped and crackled and the horses returned to camp to feel the warmth of the hearth, she promised herself that she would forge ahead instead of dwelling too much on the past. She prayed to the Goddess for her continued guidance and asked her fallen friends and her father for forgiveness as well as their strength and swore she would be worthy of their faith in her in the days ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Chapter 8: Arrival in Zora’s Domain


	8. Part 8: Path to Zora's Domain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda finally reach the path to Zora's Domain where they are met with friendly faces.

BOTW Visitations Part 8: Path to Zora’s Domain

 

Zelda’s eyes fluttered open and the damp crispness of the morning air immediately filled her lungs, helping to chase the drowsiness away quickly. It seemed quite early as the sky was still in the process of breaking open with light. She turned her head to see Link only to find his empty bedding, much disheveled, the fire doused with water, and the horses nowhere in sight. It wasn’t like him not to roll his belongings away as soon as he rose; she had become used to his way of arranging things. The Master Sword was gone as well.

It was not unusual for Link to be awake and about before her, gathering supplies and prepping for the day. But something wasn’t right and she felt a pang in her chest. She stood up and, before panic could firmly set root and rise to her throat, she heard his slow and steady footfalls behind her.

“There you a—…” she began as she spun around to face him.

His face was covered with blood.

Before she knew it, her feet were propelling her forward into a sprint, closing the distance between Link and herself.

“Good morning…” he said, simply, his eyes widening at her sudden approach.

“Are you hurt? There’s…blood,” Zelda replied, her eyes searching his face, then reaching up to move his hair away from his eyes and forehead.

Link reflexively wiped his face with the back of his leather-gloved hand, smearing it across his cheekbones.

He looked at the blood on his glove and back at Zelda’s worried expression. “I’m all right. It’s not mine.”

She seemed to him to finally start breathing again as then she grabbed his other hand, pulling him back to toward their camp. He couldn’t help to look down at their joined hands as she led him there.

Zelda gestured for him to sit down on her bedding and he watched as she proceeded to take a clean white kerchief from her pack and head a few steps to the riverbank. After wringing out the extra water, she returned with the damp cloth, kneeling down in front of him.  He couldn’t look away as she tended to him, gently wiping away the smeared blood on his face, the remaining splattered splotches on his forehead, hair, and neck.

She noticed him staring and her ears and cheeks immediately felt hot.

“What happened?” she asked, trying to focus.

“I heard the horses shortly before you woke. They had gone out to graze again and must have been distressed by something. I doused the fire, just in case, and went to search for them. There was a bokoblin hunting party not far from us. I am sure they were looking to make our horses a great prize.

“And then they would have found us,” Zelda guessed.

“Most likely.”

“It’s easy to forget there are still dangers that roam about now that the Calamity has passed.”

Link nodded as Zelda finished her ministrations and wiped the last of the blood off of Link’s gloved hand.

“Thank you,” he said, quietly.

She smiled, faintly, though worry still tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I’m just glad you weren’t hurt,” Zelda said, standing up to go back and rinse the kerchief in the river. “Besides,” she said, looking back over her shoulder, “we can’t have you covered in blood when we arrive before the King. What a sight that would be.”

Link chuckled to himself and stood to begin preparing for the next leg of their journey. He noticed Zelda staring at him, wide-eyed.

“What’s wrong? More blood?” he inquired, looking at his extremities.

“No…no, it’s just…” and then she smiled fully. “It’s nice to hear your laugh.”

\-----------------------

They spent the next few minutes packing up their sparse belongings and, as if on cue, the horses returned from their feeding. The morning’s activities left Link more famished than usual and, disinclined to start a new fire out of the now wet tinder, he suggested going to the nearby stable to use their pot and get some fresh water. Zelda agreed and made sure to cover herself so as not to stand out. Her simple hooded cloak was as reliable today as any day.

It didn’t take long for Link to cook up something hot and savory. He had offered some to Zelda but she politely assured him that he should have all of it as her appetite only allowed her to appreciate some fruit and drink. Big day ahead and all.

From under her hood, she nodded at stable workers who inquired about her ease and other traveling folk who smiled at her as they walked by. But Link was openly chatty with them. It was such a stark difference to the young man she knew before who carried himself so stoically and silently. She didn’t dislike it at all; it was just something she would look forward to getting used to now.

“You seem to have become quite demonstrative over the past one hundred years,” she prompted lightly as they started their journey once again, passing by Crenel Peak.

Link didn’t respond right away. He thought for a moment and seemed to look beyond the path ahead.

“I’m just going back to being myself, I guess. I have a lot of silence to make up for,” he finally replied.

Zelda, as ever, was intrigued by this new information but especially coming from him.

“It’s something I hope I get to see more of,” she said warmly.

“I remember telling you why I decided to withdraw.”

Zelda only nodded.

“But, when I woke up…in the shrine…I felt like a different person. Not just because I didn’t have my memories but…because I felt this strange sort of freedom,” he said, trailing off.

Zelda looked at him, patiently waiting for him to continue in his time as their horses walked side by side.

“No one remembered me or knew who I was. I was just another traveler to them,” he went on. “It was a bit lonely at times. But I had no expectations on me other than my own. It was something between you, me, and the Calamity. Everyone else was just going on about their lives. Or trying to, anyway.”

Zelda absorbed all of this soberly and silently. He spoke again.

“The anonymity allowed me to just…be me. Until now, the only time I remember being that way was when I’d visit Zora’s Domain when I was much younger…before I was…”

“…Before you were appointed,” Zelda finished.

What she wouldn’t do to give him another chance to be that carefree again; to regain that time of innocence lost before all choice was taken away from him.

“It’s a feeling you know all too well, Princess.”

Zelda pushed down the knot forming in her chest.

“I remember we talked about it back then,” he said, evenly. “It had started to rain and we took shelter under that tree. Except, you perhaps had even less time to be yourself than I did. I was able to get away from time to time.”

“We were both children of destiny,” she replied.

After a long moment, Zelda began to wonder aloud. “What do you think happened to the others?”

 “Who?”

“The children of destiny who came before us. The ones who saved Hyrule from the Great Calamity in ages past.”

Link thought about her words but realized that he, too, had never heard nor read about them once the danger was overcome.

“There is much written about them and their deeds,” she went on. “But…afterwards, after fulfilling their duty, there is nothing written of their fate. At least nothing that we know of.”

“We are to assume that the Kingdom lived on in peace,” Link surmised.

“Yes. But I wonder…what happened to them? How does one go back to a sense of normalcy? And what happened to the Champion and the Princess of their Age after sealing away the darkness? Did they go their separate ways and live their own lives into dotage? After having been so intertwined, did they feel somehow obligated to remain connected? So many things we don’t know…” she contemplated.

Link hadn’t truly thought about what was to come once it was all over; at least in the long run. Much of his living, for most of his life, was day to day. Waking up to the anticipation of when the Calamity would arise, what had to be done as a result, and all the training that led up to it— was all he had ever planned. It occurred to him, a bit alarmingly, that perhaps it was because he hadn’t even considered surviving. Thankfully, that didn’t come to pass. He was here, now, in a world after the Calamity. And he had his whole life ahead.

“It’s true we know next to nothing about what happened to them,” he posited. “But I do know this: that everything we do now will be of our own choosing. I assume that held true for them as well and we can only hope they were content with what choices they made.”

Zelda listened to his words and felt both a hope and a dread. She knew she had her station to fulfill and she would do it wholeheartedly. Her responsibility to her the Kingdom and her people was to rebuild Hyrule once again and she would not waiver from that purpose. Meanwhile, she would now be able to pursue her dreams of research and knowledge to her heart’s desire as it would help in aiding the land to heal. But what of Link? What would he choose to do now that the burden of his appointment had been lifted?

Just moments ago, she had wished to return to him the time that he had lost; all those precious years where he didn’t allow himself to laugh or play because he was so dedicated to the duty foisted on him. How could she ever tell him that she was hoping he would stay beside her, not only to help bring Hyrule to its accession once more, but so she could show him for the rest of their lives just how much he meant to her, possibly trapping him in a castle of his own? Knowing him, if she asked, he would forego his own desire and, instead, live out his days by her for her sake. But she knew she would rather give up her spirit than to take away his ability to choose ever again.

“Yes…you’re right. I dearly hope so.” was all she could muster at his last remark.

They rode in silence for the better part of the day until, finally, as the sun began to dip low behind them, they reached the mouth of Zora River. After dismounting their horses, they climbed over the high embankment where their horses could no longer traverse, and prepared to cross Inogo Bridge. Suddenly, they heard a mighty rushing sound from the waters on the other side. Link wasted no time in unsheathing the Master Sword and putting himself between Zelda and whatever was quickly approaching them from the depths.

Three figures breached and flipped out of the river, landing gracefully before them.  It was not difficult for Link to immediately identify Prince Sidon, the tallest and grandest of the three as he rose and stretched his arms out with a hearty greeting, the water sluicing off of him in sheets.

“Link, my dearest friend!” Sidon bellowed with great cheer. “We’ve been expecting you!”

Link smiled and shook arms with the Prince, ever appreciative of his convivial nature. He looked past Sidon and nodded his greeting to the other Zora in accompaniment: Bazz and Torfeau. He noticed they both had their weapons with them.

When he turned his attention back to the Prince in order to introduce him to Zelda, he could see that Sidon was already looking past Link and staring. Zelda had already pushed her hood back, her hair glowing against the backdrop of the sinking sun, its waning light still glistening across the water. Her head was bowed, atop which the golden reflection of the water gave her an illusionary crown and, even though she was far from wearing any regalia, her formal curtsey could not belie her royal station. 

“Prince Sidon, son of Dorephan-- I, Princess Zelda of the Kingdom of Hyrule, ask entry into Zora Domain to speak with your father, the King, and to seek counsel with you and the elders.”   

Link turned back to Sidon who then bowed his head and raised his clasped hand swiftly over his heart.

“The Kingdom of Zora long remembers its friendship with Hyrule and welcomes you into the heart of our land,” he announced. “King Dorephan eagerly awaits your arrival.”

Link couldn’t tell if it felt like yesterday or a hundred years when he last experienced the rituals and formalities of court. His own role in the castle was defined but it wasn’t often he would be privy to situations where royalties of other nations would meet together. He would usually be just outside the chamber doors when such gatherings took place. And at this moment, between these two highborn, he felt a bit out of place.

Zelda stood and folded her hands in front of her, looking up at Sidon, with fondness.

“I don’t know if you recall, Prince Sidon, but I knew you when you were just a fry in the eyes of your beloved sister. From what Link has told me, you have grown to be the pride of your Kingdom. I know Mipha would be very proud. ”

The formality had melted away and Sidon breathed a deep breath before speaking. His eyes were no longer charged and wide but softer and more familiar.

“Your beauty and wisdom were often spoken of with high praise by my father and sister. Unfortunately, I was too young and too preoccupied with learning how to swim upstream back then to appreciate it. But, I daresay, I can and will fully appreciate it now,” proclaimed Sidon, not taking his eyes off of her.

Zelda beamed at the Prince and it seemed to Link they shared a natural affinity. He looked at them as the moment hung in the air and he already knew that something about this encounter would linger in the back of his mind, only to gnaw at him.

“Where are my manners? Allow me to introduce my retinue. These are two of my finest soldiers and trusted comrades. This is Bazz, who happens to be an old friend of Link’s from what I hear…and this is Torfeau. They accompanied me in order to clear the path to Zora’s Domain since you would be on foot. Thankfully, many of the monsters seem to have left on their own ever since the day…well, since the day you two saved our world; that isn’t putting it too lightly, is it?” he said, as he grinned, toothily.

“Thank you for making the journey safe for us,” Zelda said, sincerely, as she looked to Bazz and Torfeau.

“It is the least we could do for Hyrule’s Princess. And, of course, anything to help our friend, Link,” replied Bazz. Torfeau cheerily nodded in agreement.

Link coughed conspicuously. “I remember when I came up this way in order to deal with Divine Beast Vah Ruta. You just left me here to climb the path on my own,” declared Link, feigning some offense.

Prince Sidon laughed heartily. “Still on that, are we? You’ll have to forgive our dear Link, your Highness. I’ve already told him many times that it was a test of sorts. I would have intervened had he been in any real trouble but he handled himself as the true warrior I knew he would be. He didn’t even need the potion I offered him. Still, he seems a bit too sour about it, though, I think,” he said, still laughing and placing a hand on Link’s shoulder. “Nothing a fine meal won’t cure. A feast awaits you, my honored friend.”

Zelda noticed that seemed to placate Link a bit. But it was hard not to feel at ease when the Prince was so jovial and welcoming.

“Let us be on our way,” advised Sidon. “My people have been anticipating your arrival ever since we were given the news of what happened and that you would be along.”

“I apologize for keeping you and the King waiting. It has taken some time to get things sorted…including myself, I’m afraid,” offered Zelda, as she took her place beside Sidon, starting their journey up the path. Link fell in line with Bazz and Torfeau a few lengths behind them.

“Now, now, there is no need to apologize. It is no small feat, what you and Link have done; something beyond the measure of any mortal beings, in my estimation. And yet, here you are, gracing us with your presence soon after. There is much that needs to be done but no one would ever censure your need to recover from that ordeal. Certainly not I, nor my father the King,” assured Sidon.

Link was able to hear them conversing with one another as they made their way up the path to Zora’s Domain, though he couldn’t make out what Sidon or Zelda were saying exactly. Bazz and Torfeau were inundating him with questions as well so he had little time or attention to spare. But when there was a lull, he would look ahead and notice how graceful the Prince and Princess looked as they proceeded. That gnawing returned.

His train of thought was interrupted when Zelda abruptly stopped and turned.

“Something the matter, Princess?” asked Sidon, stopping as well.

“No, everything’s fine,” she replied as she looked back at Link. “Someone’s just taking a while to catch up.”

Link caught her eyes and blinked a few times. It took a second but he didn’t miss the implication. He quickly trotted up the incline and took his place to the right of Zelda. She smiled and nodded at him, then they all continued to walk on.

Bazz and Torfeau looked at each other, silently agreeing to confer about this later.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO SORRY for lagging on this update! I have been playing BOTW in Master Mode and just enjoying the hell out of it.


End file.
